S. Ayers Elmira NY 'Reverse Tipt' Coin Silver Teaspoon with Provenance
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Measuring 5 5/8" long and weighing .5 T. oz., this circa 1840 teaspoon has a double provenance.
It is marked "S. Ayers Elmira" for Socrates Ayers born in 1814. He worked in Elmira as a silversmith, watchmaker and jeweler until about 1877.
It is also stamped with a "star D star," which mark John McGrew in his Manufacturer's Marks on American Coin Silver attributes to an "Unidentified - Up-State New York" maker.
The handle is engraved "Ruth Burnham" in script lettering set sideways on the front.
This particular combination of maker, location, name, and period piece stands as a call to anyone with an interest in genealogy or family lineage.
A quick Google search, for example, unearths a person of this name with living in Chemung, New York, nearby to Elmira, in a matching span of years, and there may be other possibilities.
The Fiddle shaped handle has a broad end with a Tipt backside, and high, beveled, shoulders off the pointed end bowl with a smooth drop on the backside.
In exemplary condition, this was clearly little used. It is free of polishing wear, without bends, dents, nicks, or tip wear to the bowl, and shows an overall brilliant finish.
